Jobs shed as Getty Images absorbs iStockphoto
Getty Images and iStockphoto have confirmed that 30 employees have been made redundant at the microstock company as part of an integration of the two brands
Author: Olivier Laurent
19 Jan 2012 Tags: IstockphotoGetty images
Getty Images has confirmed to BJP that 30 employees have been made redundant at iStockphoto as the firm is bring both brands closer together. "We are completing the process of full functional integration across the two brands," says Getty Images' co-founder and CEO Jonathan Klein. "[And] as with most integrations, some positions become redundant and approximately 30 employees will be leaving the business in the coming months."
Klein adds: "It is never easy to make these decisions, especially given the strong team we have at iStockphoto. Nonetheless, Getty Images remains committed to having an office in Calgary and to the vitality of the iStockphoto brand."
The confirmation comes after iStockphoto employees took to Twitter and Facebook to voice their discontent. One person wrote on Twitter: "Listening to @iStock layoff stories with old co-workers. And wow... just wow" while another tweeted about co-workers not having jobs at iStockphoto anymore.
The layoffs comes just a few days after Kelly Thompson announced that he was leaving Getty Images. Thompson was a chief operating officer with iStockphoto before taking on the role of senior vice president of product development at Getty Images. In a prepared statement, Getty Images says: "Kelly has now decided that the time is right for him to leave the business to pursue other interests and we wish him the very best in all his future endeavours. Kelly's last day with the company will be January 20."
Getty Images acquired iStockphoto in February 2006.
Comments
Thanks Kelly for all you have done for me and many other exclusive contributors at Istockphoto.You will be missed
"some positions become redundant"
Bullshit. Many of the people who were let go were valuable employees and site contributors. The one thing that differentiated these people was their ability to think freely and ask the right questions when needed.
The days of istock of old are gone.
I echo that Kelly will be missed... and the lovely intelligent people Getty Images let go.
Istock has been a big mess and reading through the forums you can see how upset contributors are. Istock is standing at the edge of the cliff, so it was time to find some people who can handle that billion $ company!
Why not just shut down the entire company?
It has brought nothing but crap to the industry lowering the bar for art direction and creativity all for a dollar. Good riddance.
Why not just do the entire industry a favour and shut down istock ? Its caused nothing but misery for photographers. Istock is moaning about loosing 30 staff, but how many thousands of photographers have gone out of business (ie lost their jobs) at the hands of this company? As the saying goes, "you reap what you sow".
Alarmed Shank-Ali's comment (1st one)
Strange to see the infamous Shank_Ali saying something positive about iStockphoto. Up until last August (while he was banned from the iStock forums) he daily posted negative comments on the MSG forums. You can search them all here, http://www.microstockgroup.com/profile/shank_ali_reborn/?sa=showPosts
Amazing how people can chance so quickly once their allowed back on the forums - I think it's like the Stockholm Syndrome with some iStock exclusives.
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